Motor Sport: Sheffield company unveils its British Touring Car at Autosport International show

Sheffield’s Cobra Sport Exhausts’ partnership with the AmD Tuning team has entered a new era with a pair of dramatically-liveried cars making their first public appearance at the Autosport International show.
Sheffield's Cobra Sport Exhausts proudly unveiled their Honda Civic Type R that fellow Yorkshireman Sam Tordoff will race in the 2019 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.Sheffield's Cobra Sport Exhausts proudly unveiled their Honda Civic Type R that fellow Yorkshireman Sam Tordoff will race in the 2019 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.
Sheffield's Cobra Sport Exhausts proudly unveiled their Honda Civic Type R that fellow Yorkshireman Sam Tordoff will race in the 2019 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Cobra Sport AmD Racing with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing are fielding a pair of Honda Civic Type Rs in the 2019 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The Attercliffe-based exhaust manufacturer has expanded its relationship with the West Thurrock-based outfit, as Cobra Sport Exhausts Managing Director, Rachel Abbott, takes on a joint team-principal role alongside AmD’s Shaun Hollamby, during the season ahead.

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“Cobra Sport Exhausts have been involved as title sponsors for a number of years now and our involvement in the management of certain aspects of the team has increased over this time,” Abbott said. “We are thrilled to be taking the next step as joint team owners with AmD Tuning in our new team, Cobra Sport AmD Racing.

“Professional motorsport involvement runs in the family as my father drove the British Saloon Car Championship’s championship-winning Team Broadspeed’s Ford Anglia in the 70s and 80s and was also a team owner of a Formula Ford 2000 race team.

“I am proud to be able to continue the family tradition and on a personal level, I am looking forward to working with Shaun as joint team principal on this new venture. Shaun has a wealth of knowledge in motorsport and he has built a great team of talented people who I have had the opportunity to get to know over the last few seasons.

“I am excited to see what we can achieve together in 2019 and beyond.”

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Hollamby added, “Acquiring these cars provides us with a fantastic platform to really raise our game and fight consistently towards the sharp end of the grid, with drivers who we know are capable of helping us to achieve our goal”.

The team will run two of the FK2-spec Civics, with former championship runner-up Sam Tordoff being brought on-board to partner the returning Rory Butcher.

“Without doubt, this is the most exciting development for us as a team since we joined the BTCC, and we have to thank Cobra Sport Exhausts for helping to make it possible. Together, I’m extremely confident about a successful 2019”, Hollamby concluded.

Yorkshireman Sam Tordoff began his motor racing career as a youngster competing at Wombwell kart track.   He joins the team for what will be his sixth full season in the series, the 29-year-old made his BTCC debut back in 2010 in a one-off drive before joining the grid on a full-time basis in 2013, having previously enjoyed success in the Renault UK Clio Cup and the Porsche Carrera Cup.

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Having finished series runner-up in 2016, Tordoff spent a season in British GT racing before returning to touring cars in 2018 - taking eleventh in the standings and ending the campaign with the best qualifying-average on the grid and a race win at Silverstone.

With his sights firmly fixed on challenging for championship silverware, an outright title bid is Tordoff’s ultimate aim.

Alongside him is Fife-based racer Rory Butcher, who had his first full year of touring car competition in 2018, the pair will make their race debuts in the Hondas when the 2019 season kicks off at Brands Hatch.